Unlocator VPN Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

Unlocator Delivered Good Speeds Across All Servers

I am quite pleased with the performance of Unlocator, as it consistently delivered impressive speeds across both local and distant servers. This allowed for a seamless experience when streaming HD videos and browsing websites, with content loading almost instantaneously on all servers.

Speed Test Results

To begin, I conducted a speed test on my home network in the UK, obtaining a download speed of 479.31 Mbps. Following this, I connected to Unlocator VPN and tested various servers around the world, which led me to discover that my connection speed experienced an average loss of 34-48%.

Curious to understand how distance impacts my connection speed, I connected to different Unlocator servers. Starting with a server in London, which is close to my location, I found that my connection speed experienced a 37% decrease compared to my base speed.

Continuing my speed test, I turned to a server in Australia, located at the greatest distance from me. Contrary to expectations, the connection speed only dipped by 48%, reaching 248.29 Mbps. For comparison, I also tested servers in the US and France. The US server showed a 34% drop, while the France server displayed a 35% decline in connection speed. Ultimately, the US local server proved to be the most effective for me.

The results above indicate that while distance can indeed influence connection speeds, the impact is not as significant when connected to Unlocator VPN. It consistently offers fast speeds, regardless of the servers selected. That being said, it is important to note that challenges in connecting to remote servers will always be present, no matter which VPN service is utilized.

Is Unlocator VPN Fast Enough for Gaming? Yes!

Unlocator VPN has a variety of local servers that are perfect for gamers because of their fast speeds. As a gamer, having a ping of 100ms or less is crucial to avoid any delays during online gameplay. Fortunately, after testing the local servers, I discovered that my ping ranged between 35 – 55ms on all of them.

However, the story changes when it comes to Unlocator VPN’s long-distance servers. While these servers have usable download and upload speeds, my ping ranged between 130 – 250ms. This delay led to long loading times while playing Call of Duty and had a negative impact on my overall gaming experience. Therefore, it’s essential to choose the right server for your gaming needs, especially when playing games that require low latency.

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Server Network — Limited Server Options

Unlocator is a relatively new service that has 43 servers spread across 39 countries, which is fewer compared to some top VPN companies. To simplify, there is typically only 1 server per country with the exception of the US, UK, and Canada which have multiple servers available.

Despite this limitation, Unlocator provides unlimited bandwidth and allows you to switch servers as needed. In addition, this provider provides a convenient list of locations that are arranged in alphabetical order. This makes it simple for you to locate and save your preferred servers in a favorites list.

On top of that, the company is constantly adding new servers to its expanding network, so you can expect those numbers to continue growing in the future. There are now 2 new servers in Lithuania and Ireland that offer high-quality connections with stable speeds.

Security — Top-Level Encryption

Unlocator VPN provides a high level of security, making it a good choice for those who are looking for a reliable VPN service to protect their online activities. The security features provided by this service are as follows:

• Solid encryption – to provide maximum security, Unlocator employs Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys. This ensures that all data transmitted through the VPN is highly encrypted and protected from potential breaches. Several government agencies, including the NSA, use it to make sure that confidential information remains secure.
• Multi-protocols – you can choose from an impressive range of PPTP, L2TP, IPsec, IKEv2, OpenVPN, and Wireguard to satisfy your every virtual need. OpenVPN is available on Windows, macOS, Android, and Amazon Fire devices, while IPsec/IKEv2 can be accessed on Windows and iOS devices. Wireguard is available for Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire devices. While PPTP and L2TP connections are also supported, they do require a little more manual setup.
• Kill switch – Unlocator boasts an automatic kill switch that halts all internet use in case of VPN failure. However, it does not activate automatically and requires manual activation through the app’s settings.
• Unlocator Shield – this option restricts internet access only when a VPN connection is present. It’s worth noting that this feature requires the Kill Switch to be activated first.
• Split tunneling – this feature allows you to selectively choose which internet traffic is routed through Unlocator VPN and which traffic is sent through your regular internet service provider (ISP) connection.

To ensure that Unlocator lives up to its claims, I checked it for any potential IP, WebRTC, and DNS leaks. For this purpose, I used IPLeak.net and connected to an Australian server from my location in the US. This allowed me to thoroughly examine the service’s performance and security.

Although the VPN effectively protected my WebRTC, DNS, and IP address information from being exposed, there is still potential for enhancing its features. The VPN could benefit from better integration of functionalities such as blocking malware, providing double VPN protection, and incorporating perfect forward secrecy. By implementing these improvements, the VPN would offer a more robust and secure user experience.

Privacy — Insecure Logging and Privacy Practices

Although Unlocator’s privacy policy claims that it does not maintain logs, I discovered that certain identifiable information is stored for a day before it is erased. When you purchase a subscription, various types of data are collected such as your name, email, address, IP address, credit card information, and location data. Unlocator goes one step further by keeping your usage logs for 24 hours after which the logs are automatically discarded.

The company keeps your personal information to prevent abuse and track harmful behavior, as stated in its privacy policy. Ideally, they should not keep any usage logs, but if they must, they should minimize the information included. These logs contain details such as your site visits, timestamps, and interactions with the site, which you may want to keep confidential.

Additionally, Unlocator is located in Copenhagen, Denmark, a member of the Nine Eyes Alliance. This is a telecommunications intelligence cooperation between many nations, including the USA and the UK. In other words, companies operating within these jurisdictions are legally required to provide user data to government agencies upon request. However, since Denmark is a member of the EU, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) must be followed. Data protection laws prohibit the export of personal information outside the EU and allow for the protection of user data. Even though Unlocator claims it complies with GDPR perfectly, the logging practices it employs contradict this claim.

If you’re looking for a VPN that doesn’t keep any records of your activity and has been checked by an outside group to make sure it’s very strict about that, then I suggest giving ExpressVPN a try. With this service, you will be able to seamlessly browse the internet and bypass firewalls, censorships, and other limitations.

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Torrenting — Supports P2P Sharing on Some Servers

It was up to me to draw my own conclusions since Unlocator doesn’t mention P2P file-sharing or torrenting anywhere on its website or terms of use. In my testing of the application, some servers allowed me to download files, while others did not. Bottom line, it appears that Unlocator allows torrenting on a select number of servers while blocking it on others.

However, you should proceed with caution since Unlocator lacks P2P-specific servers and does not have a clear policy in regard to torrenting. Furthermore, remember that Unlocator reserves the right to immediately terminate your account at its sole discretion if you breach any of its policies.

If you look at the company’s terms of service, downloading copyrighted material constitutes a violation of those terms. I suggest that you don’t use servers in countries that have hostile laws concerning torrenting and peer-to-peer sharing, such as the United States.

Keep in mind that sharing copyrighted materials is illegal in most countries. So you should only torrent content that’s in the public domain to avoid civil and criminal penalties, regardless of whether you’re using a VPN.

Does Unlocator VPN Work in China? Unlikely

Since Unlocator lacks the necessary security features to bypass China’s firewall, it may not work in China. I couldn’t test the service because I don’t live in China, but I asked customer support about using it there. The representative told me that the service is currently being heavily restricted in China, so it doesn’t work there at the moment, and there’s no solution yet.

If you’re looking for a quality VPN that will work on the Chinese mainland, ExpressVPN is an excellent choice. It is one of only a few VPNs that consistently work in China, concealing your identity and location with 256-bit encryption and zero-log policies.

Just remember – while a VPN may help you protect your privacy, that doesn’t make it okay for you to engage in illegal activities. You should always exercise caution when browsing the internet through a VPN in China.

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Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.

Unlocator offers customer support through a live chat widget that features a list of frequently asked questions. Moreover, you can use the same widget to contact the customer support staff, who typically respond within a few hours. I received an answer within 18 hours when I reached out to Unlocator’s customer support to ask about the company’s services in China. Nevertheless, in my experience, although the support team is knowledgeable, this communication channel might not be adequate for complex technical inquiries.

In addition to that, the brand provides a vast knowledge base that contains plenty of information and useful articles regarding smart DNS, VPNs, and the brand itself. This knowledge base is an excellent resource for customers who want to learn more about these topics. The page has a built-in search function that I used to quickly find answers to my questions, and it has a dedicated “Support” section where I was able to access installation guides for all the platforms Unlocator is compatible with.

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